Best Place to Buy US Dollars in Ireland
The Euro to US Dollar exchange rate changes every day – but by comparing the exchange rates offered on a specific day we can get a pretty accurate indicator of where is probably the best place to buy your US Dollars currency in Ireland before you travel to the USA.
If you need to do bank transfers of more significant amounts of currency (Euros to Dollars etc ) you should read our article on How To Transfer Money Between Ireland and the USA
Buying US Dollars
We compared the cost in Euros of buying $850 US Dollars cash on February 11th 2023 . We did the comparison using the exchange rates published on the websites of selected banks and currency exchange companies.
At CurrencyExchange.ie they were quoting a price of €813.55 for $850 Dollars. Customers can reserve currency online for collection and pay for it when they pick it up. But- CurrencyExchange.ie only has 2 pick up locations in central Dublin, they do not deliver.
The next best deal we found for buying US Dollars from the five we checked – was from No1 Currency where it would cost you €820.86 to get $850 USD . They can deliver the cash to your home for free as long as your order is worth €750. Delivery is €9.95 on smaller orders.
Home delivery is fully insured – and can be much more convenient than having to drive miles to pick up the currency.
The full list is shown below for the cost of $850 USD
CurrencyExchange.ie €813.55
No1 Currency €820.86 (Free Home delivery included)
An Post €827.65
BOI €818.94 (includes €2.50 fee)
We did a similar comparison for The Best place to buy Sterling in Ireland
Alternatives to Bringing Cash To USA
One other option to consider for spending whilst abroad is the N26 Bank Account. It is an “online only” bank account based in Germany but authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland to operate here. You will need a smartphone to open the account. The N26 Mastercard debit card has no fees or extra charges when used to make purchases in non Euro currencies – and the exchange rate will be as good as any other Mastercard debit card.
Revolut is another digital bank that has a fee-free debit card for spending in foreign currencies. It also allows you to have a US Dollar account and a Euro account. Revolut is available in Ireland. See a Comparison of Revolut and N26 here
Using an ATM in the USA to withdraw dollars using an Irish debit card is another option – but it can work out a bit more costly. Avoid taking out small amounts at ATMs – because the charges can be high. See our page about ATM Charges Overseas
For larger currency transfers you should read our article on where to get the Best US Dollar Exchange Rates
Also take a look at Money Saving Tips for Visiting New York